Cases of smallpox in the monkey could expire by the end of the year and reach children, for whom the virus can be deadly, if efforts to vaccinate it are not improved, experts have warned.
Although 50,000 doses of vaccine have been ordered, public health experts say it will take four times that number to stop the spread.
In the UK, there have already been more than 1,850 cases of disease, which causes painful blisters all over the body, and the number is believed to double every 15 days. They have been seen mainly in gay men.
Dr Deborah Birx, the former head of the US Covid working group, told The Mail on Sunday that all gay men in London under the age of 50 should be vaccinated, as well as women visiting gay bars. “If you’re in a gay bar and you’re dancing, there’s a risk of infection,” he said.
Cases of smallpox in the monkey could expire by the end of the year and reach children, for whom the virus can be deadly, if efforts to vaccinate it are not improved, experts have warned.
The virus is transmitted through close physical contact, such as sex, but also kisses and hugs.
Vaccines may provide effective protection, but doctors have criticized the slow deployment of punctures to the most at-risk British and say the UK does not have enough doses to prevent the virus from spreading to the wider population.
There is a particular concern that monkeypox can reach children, who are more likely to suffer from serious illnesses as a result.
On Thursday, the UK Health Safety Agency confirmed that a London school was sending foster home classes until the end of the term after a child came in contact with a case of smallpox.
According to a letter sent to parents, officials advised parents to avoid hugging their children, or any other very close contact, for two weeks. The vaccine will now be offered to children.
Dr Deborah Birx (pictured), the former head of the US Covid working group, told The Mail on Sunday that all gay men in London under the age of 50 should be vaccinated, as well as women who visit gay bars. “If you’re in a gay bar and you’re dancing, there’s a risk of infection,” he said.
There are two vaccines that can protect against the virus. One, created by a small Danish company, specifically protects against monkeypox. But the smallpox vaccine of decades ago also works, because the two viruses are very similar.
It is believed that most people over the age of 50 already have good immunity to monkeypox because they would have received a mandatory smallpox shot in the 70s and 80s.
The Mail on Sunday understands that the UK has 30,000 vaccines, a combination of the two types, and sexual health clinics last week began inviting some gay men to receive the vaccine.
However, experts say at least 200,000 doses of jab are needed to prevent monkeypox from spreading and reaching children, and from spreading among themselves and other vulnerable groups such as pregnant women.
This figure is based on the number of men eligible for HIV preventive drugs – those who have an average of two or more male partners every six months and, as such, have the highest risk of contracting monkeypox.
If health officials are able to vaccinate this group, experts believe the disease could be effectively controlled.
Examples of the monkeypox rash, which can appear on any part of the body. In the UK, there have already been more than 1,850 cases of the disease, which causes painful blisters, and the number is believed to double every 15 days. They have been seen mainly in gay men
Official estimates suggest there are 100,000 men eligible for these drugs in the UK, 70,000 of whom are in London, where most cases of monkeypox have already been seen.
As with Covid, it takes twice as long for the vaccine to have full effect, which means that currently the UK cannot vaccinate all eligible Britons.
“Health officials have told us that the current strategy is to get 50,000 doses of the vaccine, but since we have to give two doses, that means they will only have 25,000 people and that is not enough,” he says. Dr. Claire Dewsnap. president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV.
“Currently, smallpox is only affecting this subgroup of Britons, but if the cases continue to increase, it will not stay that way. When it ends up exploding in the wider population, we will need many more vaccines than we could have on our hands.” .
Experts also believe there are many undiagnosed cases, following a study last week by the Belgian Institute of Tropical Medicine, which showed that transmission of the virus can occur without symptoms.
More than ten per cent of infected Britons have been hospitalized, although this has been mainly for pain control, as blisters can be debilitating, making activities such as eating and going to the toilet unbearable. In people with weaker immune systems, such as children, the disease can be fatal.
In June, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was concerned that sustained transmission of monkeypox would lead to the virus settling in the community and could infect “groups of ‘high risk, including children, immunocompromised women and pregnant women’.